Pinky Promise

Pinky Promise Part 24

"You can stay up here till you decide if you're gonna stay," Andrea told Martinez as she led him to one of the vacant apartment rooms above the kitchens.

"Ya really think these people gonna trust me to stay here?" Martinez questioned as he looked around at the curious faces staring at them.

Pursing her lips Andrea studied the man in front of her, "Why did you save Beth?" she asked point blank.

Blinking Martinez shrugged, "I'd a done it for anyone," he mumbled.

"No you wouldn't have. From what Meryl told me you were perfectly fine standing outside not doing a damn thing till you realized it was her in there. Why?" Andrea questioned again.

"Look Blondie I don't know what you want me to say."

"The truth," she retorted.

Huffing he rolled his eyes, "Because I liked her when we met. I even liked her douchebag redneck," he admitted, "That ain't gonna make these people trust me though."

Smiling Andrea turned and began to walk away from the building, "Are you coming?" she called over her shoulder, "You need to see the kind of person you just saved."

Sighing, he had no choice to follow her.

Walking down the side street that led to Woodbury's version of a cemetery Martinez looked around, "What? You already got my grave dug and figured it be easier to kill me back here?"

Ignoring him Andrea entered the cemetery and led him to the wall of the building in front of the few graves, "Beth wanted to have a memorial wall. Somewhere where everyone could write their loved ones' names even if there's nobody to actually bury," she explained pointing to where a sheet of plywood had been anchored to the wall of the building.

"Even those she's never met," Andrea told him, pointing to a cluster of names written in magic marker.

Squinting Martinez stepped closer as he saw: Rosa, Isabella, and Christian Martinez printed neatly on the wood.

"She remembered?" he whispered.

"Yes, and she put their names up there so everyone else can remember too. That's the kind of person you saved back there. The people here love her and the people at the prison practically worship the ground she walks on," she stated, "The fact that you got her out alive is going to work strongly in your favor."

"I'll stay," he decided.

"Well then let me show you to your new home."

The next morning Martinez found himself standing outside of the small infirmary gearing up to go inside. Deciding he'd stalled enough he climbed the front steps and walked inside.

Moving quietly down the hall he stopped at the door leading to her room. Taking a deep breath he reached for the door knob. "I know I'm new here, but I don't think that's a good idea," stated a voice from behind him.

Turning he found the army medic, Bob, standing behind him. "Is she not okay?" he asked him.

"No, she will be, but she's not alone," he told him. Nodding he grimaced, "Well I'll either walk out of here alive or you have my permission to donate my body to science," he replied before pushing the door open.

Martinez wasn't surprised in the slightest to find a hand gun pointing at his face upon entering Beth's room. Ignoring it he shuffled further into the room after shutting the door.

"You can stop right there," Daryl told him, keeping the gun raised from where he lay on the bed with Beth tucked in next to him sleeping, "What do ya want?"